drvarun sqMedical 3D Printing & Bioprinting

Dr Varun Tyagi is a medical doctor who practices in India and writes about remarkable and historical landmarks throughout the medical world.  Dr Varun believes that 3D printing can help democratize medical care, making medical devices affordable and available to everyone on the planet.

Viability Check Of Organ Phantoms Made By 3D Printing

Viability Check Of Organ Phantoms Made By 3D Printing

A research team at American Association of Physicists in Medicine recently published an article revealing how effective 3D Printing is for producing Organ Phantoms (models of organs to test things like proper medication dosage). Three questions were explored including the resolution of 3D Printing, materials used against scanning modality and feasibility of radioactive solutions as per 3D Printing is concerned. 50 studies conducted later concluded that 3D Printing undoubtedly has some limits, but is the fastest growing and can be definitely considered the best approach for Organ Phantoms as the new materials are unveiled.

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War Victims Start Receiving 3D Printed Prosthetics

War Victims Start Receiving 3D Printed Prosthetics

Foundations like the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Foundation and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are working round the clock to provide new life to more than 1 million victims of war in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Jordan by providing them 3D Printed Prosthetics. Using the 3D Scanning Technology and 3D Printing simultaneously, the parts can be printed without even doctor-patient meeting, while also cut down the heavy cost of traditional prosthetics that tend to be unfit and uncomfortable to the wearer.

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3D Printing Helps Father Donate Kidney to Her Daughter End-Stage Kidney Disease

3D Printing Helps Father Donate Kidney to Her Daughter End Stage Kidney Disease

Pauline Fenton, a 22-year-old mother from Belfast was living with end-stage kidney disease, and was completely reliant on dialysis until her 45 year old father; William volunteered to donate one of his kidneys. William had a potentially cancerous cyst on the kidney he was going to donate which was successfully removed using axial3D printed model of his kidney, and the transplant took place successfully.

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Stratasys Continues to Help Veterans Through 3D Printed Orthotic Hands

Stratasys Continues to Help Veterans Through 3D Printed Orthotic Hands

3D printing solutions company Stratasys worked with the VA Center of Innovation (VACI) to install 3D printers in five VA hospitals across the country, helping veterans with custom 3D printed prosthetics and orthotics. Hand therapist Mary Matthews, with the help of Ben Salatin (Rehabilitation Engineer) made a 3D printed one piece orthotic for Newton, making it more comfortable and damage proof with increased aesthetics.

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Synthetic 3D Printed Ligaments To Be Available Soon For Surgeries

 Synthetic 3D Printed Ligaments To Be Available Soon For Surgeries

Dr. Christina Salas, PhD, a scientist at the University of New Mexico, is working on 3D Printed Ligaments which can allow for less-invasive surgery, and could be a more permanent solution as the synthetic 3D printed ligament would not wear out or weaken. Using the CT or MRI scan of patient’s damaged joint, an exact replica using 3D Bioprinting can be produced for replacement, and Dr. Salas has received a two-year, $150,000 grant for the research.

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Young Kid Receives Second Life With 3D Bioprinted Bladder

Young Kid Receives Second Life With 3D Bioprinted Bladder

Luke Massella was born with Spina Bifida, a medical condition that causes gap in spine, which required multiple surgeries to be able to walk. However, he faced bladder malfunction and kidney failure, for which Dr. Anthony Atala of Boston Children’s Hospital developed 3D Printed Bladder using Massella’s bladder tissue and modified 3D inkjet machines. The 14 hour surgery of transplantation of 3D Bioprinted Urinary Bladder was successful saving the now 27 year old Massella.

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regenHU & Wako Automation Assist 3D Bioprinting Along With Drug Discovery

regenHU Wako Automation Assist 3D Bioprinting Along With Drug Discovery

3D biotechnology company regenHU with Wako Automation combined to exploits the potential of cell-based therapies and 3D bioprinting to develop biomedical products for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. They will use their specialization of bioprinting solutions, laboratory automation and high content imaging for the same. They demonstrated their technologies at SLAS Conference in San Diego.

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Human Skin With Actual Pigmentation Gets 3d Printed

 Human Skin With Actual Pigmentation Gets 3d Printed

Researchers at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological University have developed a way to create pigmentation in 3D printed skin by using bioprinting to control the distribution of melanin-producing skin cells, on a biomimetic tissue substrate. They used three different types of skin cells and drop on demand method of bioprinting to create the pigmented skin.

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Researchers Work Towards Building Medical Models for Peritoneal Cancer

Researchers Work Towards Building Medical Models for Peritoneal Cancer

Researchers at Ghent University have developed a 3D bioprinted model of a scaffold from PLA that more accurately replicates the size, porosity and mechanical and biochemical properties of peritoneal metastasis to treat Cancer. Cancerous cells are then cultivated for testing after which they implanted their model in the peritoneal cavities of a mice to test its working in vivo.

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FDA Clears 3D Printed Implants From Emerging Implant Tech

 FDA Clears 3D Printed Implants From Emerging Implant Tech

Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT), a German company, famous for its Cellular Titanium technology, has received FDA clearance again, to expand their EIT Cellular Titanium Cervical Cage to be used in multiple contiguous cervical levels (C2 to T1) and this is the first multi-level 3D printed cervical cage to enter the US market. It is designed to be used with autogenous and/or allogenic bone grafts to facilitate fusion, and should be used with supplemental fixation.

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Patients With High Risk of Atrial Fibrillation to Benefit From 3D Printed Occluder Device

 Patients With High Risk of Atrial Fibrillation to Benefit From 3D Printed Occluder Device

Researchers with Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging at New York are working to develop 3D printed, personalized soft LAA occluding devices that are customized to a specific patient’s anatomy. The team used CT images of a person’s heart and a CAD program to isolate the surface of the LAA with a 0.5 mm thick shell, adding a valve for inflation and mechanical stabilization to the design. The molds for occluder are then printed for casting and filling.

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KCE Report Addresses High Risk Medical Devices and Framework

 KCE Report Addresses High Risk Medical Devices and Framework

A report was published by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE), identifying 3 main types of 3D printed medical devices – Customizable, Standard and Custom-made. The report addresses risks and challenges of this technology and drafts an operational framework for these devices, over viewing their effectiveness, safety, cost, and legal issues.

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Digitalizing the Pharmaceuticals for 3D Printing

 Digitalizing the Pharmaceuticals for 3D Printing

Researchers from the University of Glasgow are using a chemical-to-digital converter to digitize the process of drug manufacturing to 3D print pharmaceuticals on demand. The digital code is used by the 3D printer to make a portable factory, which can make the drug by adding chemicals in a pre-defined, fail-safe sequence, making it possible for users to synthesize nearly any compound.

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Trachea Without Tissue Scaffolds: 3D Printing Advancements

 Trachea Without Tissue Scaffolds 3D Printing Advancements

Researchers from Nagasaki University in Japan are working on scaffold-free approaches for an artificial trachea by assessing the circumferential tracheal replacement using scaffold-free trachea-like grafts, generated from isolated cells in an inbred animal model. Regenova 3D bioprinter from Cyfuse Biomedical was used to assemble multicellular spheroids in a tube-shaped artificial trachea.

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Switzerland Advances in Mixing Laser Tech and 3D Printing for Tissue Repair

 Switzerland Advances in Mixing Laser Tech and 3D Printing for Tissue Repair

Researchers at EPFL in Switzerland have developed 3D printed microstructures with a 1.0 micron lateral and 21.5-micron axial printing resolution by detailing their approach towards existing laser-based microfabrication techniques which uses two-photon photopolymerization. The research team is now working toward clinical use for their technique while developing biocompatible photopolymers and a compact delivery system.

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Collaboration Between 3D Systems and Stryker for Enhancing Surgical Planning

 Collaboration Between 3D Systems and Stryker for Enhancing Surgical Planning

3D Systems and Stryker announced their exclusive distribution partnership for anatomical craniomaxillofacial and Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP) service. The agreement is specific to US, Canada, Europe, and Australia, will begin on February 1st, 2018. The partnership will help surgeons in developing customized surgical plans ahead of complex operations.

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Identities of Dead Victims on US-Mexico Border Reconstructed Using 3D Printing

 Identities of Dead Victims on US Mexico Border Reconstructed Using 3D Printing

Migrants trying to cross US-Mexico border are often apprehended and lose their live during the effort, and over 1000 unidentified in Pima Country, Arizona, were recently found. However, using the 3D Printing Technology by FARO, a 3D tech company, a group of students led by Joe Mullins from New York Academy of Art, have been working to reconstruct skulls of 8 such men. Once the reconstructions are complete, they are photographed and entered into National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS).

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5-Year Old Gifts Hands to These in Need Using 3D Printing

 5 Year Old Gifts Hands to These in Need Using 3D Printing

Cameron Haight, a 5-year old now, was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which caused his fingers and toes to be deformed and few amputated. Receiving her own 3D Printed Hand, she and her mother began 3D Printing e-NABLE hands for other children using the first design made by Cameron called Tool 5000. They have set up an NPO called Different Heroes to raise money for these 3D printed hands for children around globe.

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Sebaceous Glands Unveiled by BASF & CTIBiotech for Skin Care Industry

 Sebaceous Glands Unveiled by BASF CTIBiotech for Skin Care Industry

BASF and CTIBiotech came together at the recent NYSCC Cosmetic Congress where they formed a collaboration to work towards 3D Bioprinting. Now, they have announced the technology for the bioprinting of tissue to create sebaceous glands which is expected to be a boon for Skin Care Industry. The research resulted in Ex-vivo production of physiological sebum and Regulation of sebum production with active ingredients.

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Researchers Progress Towards Building Hybrid Materials for 3D Printed Implants

Researchers Progress Towards Building Hybrid Materials for 3D Printed Implants

A team of researchers from TU Delft have developed hybrid materials which can be used to 3D Print Hip Implants with enhanced bone growth and increased life-span. The new implant will combine a conventional meta-biomaterial with an auxetic one, a complex stretching property. These 3D Printed Hybrid Implants are expected to have greater longevity and fix better than current hip implants.

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3D Printing Helps Stroke Victim Return to Swimming

3D Printing helps Stroke Victim return to Swimming

Pedro, 16-year old, suffered stroke in 2012 which left him with his right hand affected by spasticity and lose fine movement. A team collaborated with Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and created a custom orthotic hand swimming fin for Pedro in less than a month using water soluble PVA material and Sigma 3D printer.

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Researchers Use 3D Printing & Cryogenics to Develop Replicas for Tissue-Regeneration

Researchers Use 3D Printing Cryogenics to Develop Biological Replicas for Tissue Regeneration

Researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) have developed new 3D Printing Technique to create biological replicas for tissue regeneration. In collaboration with Kings College London, they experimented with 3D Printing and Cryogenics using solid Carbon Dioxide (dry ice) to quickly cool down hydrogel ink and Ultimaker 3D Printer. Once the ink softens, it forms a gel as soft as human tissue, which was then seeded with Dermal Fibroblasts with success.

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Surgeons Develop Acrylic-Based 3D Printed Mask for Facial Transplant Donors

Surgeons Develop Acrylic Based 3D Printed Mask for Facial Transplant Donors

A team of 3D Printing experts at New York University (NYU) have started creating 3D Printed Masks for Facial Transplants Donors using accurate 3D Printing and Acrylic material. Since it is a tough decision to give up the face of deceased by family members, this 3D Printed Mask will encourage more people to agree to donate the faces of their dying family members for transplant purposes. Using Handheld Scanner to scan donor’s face, and then sending files to large 3D Printer, the final product is made using acrylic-based photopolymer.

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eNABLE Helps Florida Man Get Back to Life With 3D Printed Hands

eNABLE helps Florida Man get back to life with 3D Printed Hands

Francisco Piedra, 61-year old man from Florida, was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis in 2016, for which he was given drug Heparin. The drug made situation worse and led to clots, forcing surgeons to amputate his hands and legs below knees, for which he approached Hanger Clinics from where he received Legs, but not Hands since they were above $100,000. Ultimately, eNABLE came to help and through Richard Brown, he received 3D Printed Prosthetic hand which took 20 hours each to 3D Print.

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Cellink Partners With CTI Biotech to 3D Print Tumors for Cancer Treatment

 Cellink parners with CTI Biotech to 3D Print Tumors for Cancer Treatment

Cellink, a Swedish 3D Printing Company founded by Erik Gatenholm and Hector Martinez Avila, has announced their partnership with CTI Biotech, a French company based in Lyon, to fabricate tumors that can be used for pharmaceuticals testing. The ability to mix their own inks with cells from patients’ cancers will allow them to produce tumors that can be subjected to intense research without endangering human lives and simultaneously remove animal testing.

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3D Printed Lens Provides Treatment for Seizures Due to Extreme Light

 3D Printed Lens provides Treatment for Seizures due to Extreme Light

Logan Williams, a student at the University of Canterbury, has developed a 3D Printed Polarized Lens called the Polar Optics that help fight against Epileptic Seizures caused by Photosensitivity. The lens combat the effects of flashing lights through refraction of light entering the wearer’s eyes and therefore reducing the intensity of light to reduce the damage done.

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Superhero Prosthetics Customized Specially for Children of Colombia

 Superhero Prosthetics customized specially for Children of Colombia

A Colombian company called Fabrilab founded by engineer Christian Silva in 2015 has started manufacturing Unique Prostheses for children amputees who cannot afford them. These personalized prosthetics mimic the attributes of their favorite superheroes and cost around $250-$500 each and some functionality to boot, with an ability to grasp ordinary objects.

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3D Printing in the Field of Occupational Therapy

 3D Printing in the field of Occupational Therapy

At University of Indianapolis, Dr. Erin Peterson, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy is working on determining the best use of 3D Printing technology in field of Occupational Therapy Education for both master’s and doctoral students. After receiving the MakerGear M3 desktop 3D Printer and Scanner, they started 3D Printing innovative designs for assistive devices and custom anatomical models, as well as using Customized 3D Printed Pill Boxes to improve daily medication routines.

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Bioengineering Students Explore the World of 3D Printing

 Bioengineering Students explores the world of 3D Printing

Victoria Sear, a graduate student from University of Michigan- Dearborn was introduced with 3D Printing Technology during an internship with SME and variety of things 3D Printing could offer. As a Bioengineering student, she was fascinated to learn about 3D Printed Prosthetics as replacement limbs, 3D Printed Heart models that were used to help prepare medical teams for surgical interventions, and a wide variety of medical devices that could be custom fabricated for patient-specific needs.

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MSF Hospital Utilizes 3D Printed Prosthetics in Reconstructive Surgeries

 MSF Hospital utilizes 3D Printed Prosthetics in Reconstructive Surgeries

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known in English as Doctors Without Borders, a foundation that reached out to 3D Printing Technology for its hospital to treat war-wounded Iraqis without access to health care. As the reach extended, the MSF Foundation started providing 3D Printed Prosthetics to Syria, Palestine and Libya through the hospital’s reconstructive surgery program. These prosthetics are faster and cheaper to produce using desktop Ultimaker 3D Printer.

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The Possibilities Are Endless With 3D Printing: Duke University

 The Possibilities are Endless with 3D Printing Duke University

Duke University School of Medicine is making every possible use of 3D Printing they can in their medical efforts. From creating a 3D Printed Model of Hip at campus Co-Lab Studio through MRI and CT scans to aid in surgery for Chronic Limp in young woman; to enhancing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a procedure for Aortic valve stenosis via a 3D Printed Model of flexible anatomy of aorta by Dr. Alice Wang at Duke University.

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3D Printed Blood Brain Barrier to Eliminate Need of Animal Testing

 3D Printed Blood Brain Barrier to eliminate need of Animal Testing

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) is a semi-permeable that protects brain from direct contact with damaging entities in body. Until now, animals have been used to test drugs that cross BBB, but now researchers are capable of reproducing the microcapillaries of neurovascular system on 1:1 scale using 3D Printing technology. Carried out by Gianni Ciofani, Associate Professor at Polytechnic University of Torino, the mimicked BBB is important for developing pharmaceuticals that can cross boundary as there currently exist drug compounds that demonstrate great potential for addressing brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS.

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New Bioprinting Ink Will Open the World for Scaffolds

New Bioprinting Ink will open the world for Scaffolds

A group of researchers from Japan’s Osaka University have developed a new bioprinting ink using a method based on hydrogelation mediated by horseradish peroxidase, an enzyme that can create cross-links between phenyl groups of an added polymer in the presence of the oxidant hydrogen peroxide. This bioprinting ink will be better substitute of Sodium Alginate as it will allow 3D Printing of more variety of scaffolds.

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3D Printed Bones Especially for Ethnically Chinese People by ITRI

 3D Printed Bones especially for Ethnically Chinese People by ITRI

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan has developed bone material specially designed for ethnic Chinese people using 3D printing to combine metal and ceramic composite materials with bionic bone structures, and is expected to come in 2018. The ITRI-developed 3D printed bone material is lightweight, hydrophilic, and fuses easily with existing bone. It’s porous and hollow and can be used to regenerate natural bone, plus it can be easily customized for personalized treatment.

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Functional Kidney With Vasculature Almost Close for Wyss Researchers

 Functional Kidney With Vasculature Almost Close for Wyss Researchers

A team of researchers in tissue engineering, 3D biofabrication, biomaterials design and stem cell differentiation at Harvard’s Wyss Institute is working on 3D Printing a Functioning Kidney Subunit with current work to build branched vascular network unique to each organ. Using advanced 3D Bioprinting from Wyss Institute, Dr. Jennifer Lewis’s organ-on-chips are ready, using special polymer inks for creation of structures made up of human cells, complete with vasculatures and extracellular matrices.

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FDA Guidance and R&D Tax Credits for 3D Printing Companies

 FDA Guidance and RD Tax Credits for 3D Printing Companies

Before 3D Printing Medical Devices can be used for clinical applications, they must first get approval from FDA. On December 4, 2017, the FDA issued a guidance to help speed up the approval process for companies seeking the approval. Additionally, there were Research and Development tax credits that a company can seek to offset 4-7% of the cost associated with testing, process improvement, and production. To receive the research and development benefits, the company must meet the four eligibility criteria set up.

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Physician Drives Long Way to Deliver 3D Printed Prosthetics to Children for Charity

 Physician drives long way to deliver 3D Printed Prosthetics to Children for Charity

A 29-year old, Dr. Lars Brouwers is a physician from Tilburg, Netherlands, who is on a mission to deliver 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands to children who faced war violence in Sierra Leone. For the charity, he is also delivering a desktop 3D Printer, Ultimaker 3 with cost of $3,000 but donated for free by Ultimaker. Using a 1995 Saab for three week long drive to Sierra Leone, they will supporting the charitable international Global Minimum organization, and its Innovate Salone program for school children, with their 3D printed prosthetic hands.

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These 3D Printed Spermbots Are the Ultimate Warriors in Battle Against Cervical Cancer

 These 3D Printed Spermbots are the Ultimate Warriors in Battle Against Cervical Cancer

Researchers from Institute for Integrative Nanosciences (IIN) at IFW Dresden in are working to develop a Biohybrid Sperm Microbot, which could be used in the future to deliver anti-cancer drugs like doxorubicin hydrochloride to cancerous tumors in women’s reproductive tracts, and help in cancer like Cervical Cancer. The tests had already been successful, the team is just working to make the invisible drug delivery system a bit more accessible to hospitals and simultaneously monitor the spermbot’s movement inside the body in real time.

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China Develop Better Method of 3D Printing Patient-Specific Liver Models

 Chinese Researchers develop Cheaper Precise Method of 3D Printing Patient Specific Liver Models

A team of researchers led by Professor Cheng Shujie from Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, China are unveiling precise 3D Printed Liver Models which have been 3D Printed using Stereolithography for lower costs & precision and can be used for aiding in surgeries. Using two high speed LCD-SLA 3D printers, the team was able to create detailed, life-sized liver model for approximately $80-$90.

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CADskills Titanium 3D Printed Implants Is the Solution to Bone Atrophy

 CADskills Titanium 3D Printed Implants is the solution to Bone Atrophy

CADskills, a medical device startup from Belgium uses 3D Printing Technology to produce patient-specific implants for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) and neurosurgery patients, including its innovative AMSJI, a new generation of subperiosteal implant for extreme maxillary atrophy. To counter bone atrophy, AMSJI eliminates the bone grafting process and its months of recovery time and the surgery takes around 1 hour. These Titanium implants are 3D Printed using Mimics Innovation Suite (MIS) from Materialise.

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